Vernon enlisted on 1 April 1943 at Indianapolis, Indiana and was assigned to the engineers at Fort Lewis in Washington. He was stationed in England several months before going into France in June.

With A Company, 147th Combat Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment. Pvt Chadwick served in France, Belgium and Holland before going into Germany.

Attempts to install a Treadway bridge over the Wurm River near the castle during daylight were rendered impossible by enemy artillery. The bridge was finally installed at night under heavy harassing fire from both artillery and small arms and was ready for traffic by daylight 3 October. The bridge was subsequently knocked out twice and damaged several times, but repairs were made immediately.

Pvt. Vernon Eugene Chadwick was proud of his time served in the United States Army. Eugene was a good Christian Soldier who kept his faith and strengthened others during WWII. Eugene never complained, but encouraged others in his company.

As you read this book by Rodney Simpson, A Soldier's Wish: Letters Sent Home from a WWII Engineer, find yourself imagining every little detail of the war. Imagine your desk being a green duffel bag on the hard ground, imagine driving huge heavy trucks down to the winding river. Hear the loud planes roar over your head. Feel his tired body resting in a foxhole wondering when the next shell is going to hit. Feel his loneliness of wanting to be home. Eugene was a soldier who had a wish that the war would soon be over so he could return home to the family farm.